Resonance device for stringed musical instrument



Jan. 22, 1957 H. GUTSCHE 2,773,262

RESONANCE DEVICE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed June 9 1953 yawn/or He 777E727: Gulscle United States Patent RESONANCE DEVICE FOR STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Hermann Gutsche, Berlin-Neukolln, Germany Application June 9, 1953, Serial No. 360,557

Claims priority, application Germany May 29, 1953 14 Claims. (Cl. 84-296) This invention relates to stringed instruments with oscillating necks, of the kind in which the neck is kept oscillating on the sounding body by the tensioned strings and is furnished with an oscillating bar that transmits the oscillations to the sounding body.

In instruments of this kind a fine tone is achieved by the transmission of the oscillations to the sounding body.

The invention aims at improving still more this tone and also at providing an instrument that can, for example, be adapted to the acoustics of the room in which it is to be played.

One advantageous feature of the invention consists in arranging the neck to oscillate about a rounded edge of the table of the sounding body and the bar to extend over the back of the body. The oscillating bar in this case can be constructed with an additional and integral sounding board of shell shape. Alternatively a separate sounding board to which the bar communicates the vibrations when the strings are played, may be mounted below the back of the body.

An improved fullness of tone can be attained by making the additional sounding board convex at the breast end and flat at the cheek end, the additional sounding surface preferably having vibrators or sound posts between the breast and cheek ends. The point of contact of the oscillating bar on the additional sounding board may be made adjustable so that the position of the neck and of the oscillating bar relatively to the sounding body can be regulated.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, some constructions in accordance therewith will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a violin, the neck of which is shown truncated so that the scroll is omitted.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation, on an enlarged scale, of part of a modification of the violin of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the cheek end of the violin of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a section along line 44 of Figure 2.

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional elevations of details.

Figure 7 is an elevation of a detail.

A neck 2 with a finger-board 3 is mounted to oscillate on a sounding body 1. This articulation is provided by a semi-cylindrical bearing 5 that rocks on the edge 4 of the table or belly. An oscillating bar 6 forms a continuation of the neck 2 and extends along the outside of the back 8. It ends in a point 7 and can be constructed as a shell, so that it forms an additional sounding board. Preferably, however, an additional sounding board 9 is joined to the oscillating bar 6 below the bearing 5 (Figure 2). The point 7 of the bar 6 bears on the sounding board 9 when the strings are tensioned. The sounding board 9 is secured by means of a bead 10 which engages in a recess 11 of the oscillating bar 6. In addition to this connection, a

Patented Jan. 22, 1957 pin 12 can also be provided. This pin 12 passes through apertures 13 in the oscillating bar 6 and the sounding board 9 (Figure 4). At the opposite end, the additional sounding board 9 is directly connected with the back 8 by means of a fastening on the knob 14 for the tail piece 15. Alternatively it may be spaced from the back 8 by an intermediate bar 16.

in order to produce substantial volume and a good tone the additional sounding board 9 is made convex at the breast end 22 and fiat at the cheek end 23, as can be seen in Figure l, the additional sounding surface being preferably provided with sound posts 24 between the breast end and the cheek end. The oscillating bar 6 has an inclined bottom surface 16. In the additional sounding board 9 a slot 17 is provided, through which a shank 18 passes. The shank 18 joins a friction element 19, engaging the outside surface of the sounding board 9, to a wedge 20 on the inner surface. By moving this slide 18, 19, 20 along the slot 317 the oscillating bar 6 is raised or lowered by the interaction of the inclined surface 16 and wedge 20, and by this means the position of the neck 2 relatively to the sounding body 1 and the string tension as well as the pressure of the oscillating bar 6 on the sounding board 9 can be regulated. In this manner, variations in the height of the bridge can be accommodated in relation to volume of tone and pitch. Another adjusting device is shown in Figure 6, in which the adjustment of the oscillating bar 6 is done by means of a screw 25 that can be screwed through the surface 9. The end of the screw 25 is either embedded in or bears on the oscillating bar 6. The outline form of the additional sounding board 9 corresponds to the outline form of the back 8. in order to obtain a fine, full tone the oscillation and resonance board 9 is hollowed out towards the edge and has a thickened rim 22', pear-shaped in cross section (Figure 7).

Further intermediate bars 16 can be interposed between the edge of the back 8 and the sounding surface 9. Then the oscillations of the neck 2 about the pivot 5 are limited. The oscillating bar 6 and the sounding board 9 consist preferably of a mouldable artificial resin particularly Plexiglas.

In order further to increase the volume of tone, the oscillating bar 6 or sounding board 9 can be connected with the back of the sounding body by a resilient clamp 21. The latter can be mounted at selected locations to amplify certain notes. In a violin, for example, by placing the clamp 21 on the G-string side of the instrument a considerable increase of the fullness of tone on the G-string side results. In addition, for increasing the fullness of tone in the sounding board 9, one or more f-shaped sound holes can be provided, as indicated in Figure l at 26.

I claim:

1. A stringed instrument comprising, in combination, a sounding body having a back, a neck pivotally mounted on said sounding body, said neck and sounding body being adapted to have at least one string connected therebetween, an oscillating sounding board formed so that its outline corresponds to that of the body and mounted so as to be substantially coextensive therewith, a bar adjacent to the back for transmitting oscillations of said neck about its pivotal mounting to said sounding board, and means for transmitting such oscillations to said back of said body, said sounding board being spaced from said body at least over the major portion of its area.

2. A stringed instrument according to claim 1, wherein said oscillating bar and said sounding board are integral with one another.

3. A stringed instrument according to claim 1, wherein said bar and said sounding board are separate from one another, said bar being formed so as to bear on said sounding board.

4. A stringed instrument according to claim 1, wherein said bar is moulded from an artificial resin.

5. A stringed instrument according to claim 1, comprising a resilient clamp connecting said sounding board and said body and adjustable around the periphery of said board and said body, said sounding board being spaced from said body over substantially the whole of its area.

6. A stringed instrument according to claim 1, in which the sounding board is hollowed out towards its edge and provided with a rim that is pear-shaped in cross-section, said sounding board being spaced from. said body over substantially the whole of its area.

7. A stringed instrument according to claim 1, wherein the body includes a table formed with a rounded edge and in which the neck is formed with a recess that oscillates on the rounded edge.

8. A stringed instrument comprising, in combination, a sounding body having a back, a neck pivotally mounted on said sounding body so as to oscillate in a vertical plane when said body is horizontal, an oscillating sounding board mounted and formed so as to be substantially coextensive with said body and spaced therefrom, said sounding board being convex at a breast end and flat at a cheek end, a bar for transmitting oscillations of said neck about its pivotal mounting to said sounding board, and means for transmitting such oscillations to said back of said body, said neck and said body being adapted to have strings connected therebetween.

9. A stringed instrument according to claim 8, in which sound posts are provided located between said breast and cheek ends and which constitute said means for transmitting oscillations to said back.

10. A stringed instrument comprising, in combination, a sounding body including a back, a neck pivotally mounted on said sounding body so as to oscillate in a vertical plane when said body is horizontal, a sounding board extending over and spaced from the back of said sounding body, a bar fixed to said neck and extending over said sounding board in spaced relation thereto, adjustable means interposed between said bar and sounding board so as to transmit oscillations from said bar 4 to said board, and means for transmitting such oscillations from said sounding board to said back of said body.

11. A stringed instrument according to claim 10, wherein said adjustable means comprise a Wedge element operative to alter the spacing of said bar from said sounding board on being moved along said bar.

12. A stringed instrument according to claim 10, in which said adjustable means are adjustable transversely to said bar and sounding board so as to alter the spacing therebetween.

13. A stringed instrument comprising, in combination, a sounding body including a back and a table formed with a rounded edge, a neck formed with a recess engaging said edge so as to provide an-oseillatable mounting for said neck, a bar fixed to said neck and extending over said back, and means adapted to transmit oscillations from said bar to said back, said neck and said body being arranged to have at least one string connected therebetween.

14. A stringed instrument according to claim 13, comprising also a sounding board attached to but spaced from said back, said bar being arranged to extend between said back and said sounding board and to bearon the front face of said sounding board at a point substantially displaced from the perimeter thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,291,548 Kershner Jan. 14, 1919 1,329,594 Going Feb. 3, 1920 1,355,723 Wilmot Oct. 12, 1920 1,783,244 Lange Dec. 2, 1930 1,887,398 Chase Nov. '8, 1932 1,961,900 Gast June 5, 1934 2,660,912 Prescott Dec. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 418,370 Germany Sept. 3, 1924 417,618 Great Britain Oct. 9, 1934 836,134 Germany Apr. 10, 1952 873,197 Germany Apr. 13, 1953 

